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Cycling Statistics, Bicycle Event Statistics
Reports of Major Bicycling Events in New York State

    For the past 13 years we have been compiling a list of major bicycling events in New York State
and other Great Lakes states. In 2001 we issued a one page report about the bicycling event
participants and sponsors. In 2002, we expanded the Report to include an analysis of participants,
event locations and sponsors.
    The amount of time and energy to collect, compile and analyze this data has prevented us from continuing to produce statistical reports on the information presented in the 2001 and 2002 Reports. If we are able to obtain a grant or other financial support for these reports we will try to produce a 2009 Report.

Click: 2002 Major Bicycling Events in New York State Report
Click: 2001 Major Bicycling Events in New York State Report

2002 Major Bicycling Events in New York State Report

Contents

Introduction
General Information
Data Collection
Event Information
Participant Information
Sponsor Information
Implications for Tourism in New York State
Implications for Organizers of Bicycling Events
Summary
Your Notes, Comments and Suggestions

Tables
Table I:    Event Category by Number of Events and Number of Bicyclists
Table II    Event Organizer Category by Number of Events
Table III    Sponsor Category by Number of Sponsors & Number of Events Sponsored
Table IV    Tourism Area by Number of Events and Number of Bicyclists

Major Bicycling Events in New York State 2002

    The people in N.Y. were fantastic and the roads down there were something to behold.
D. H., Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, January 30, 2003.
From an unsolicited email to the author.

Introduction
    For seven years Harvey Botzman has been compiling and maintaining a Major Bicycling Events in
New York State List. The List began as a source of information for the Rochester Bicycling Club’s
newsletter, bbs and web site.
    A report was prepared on the 2001 Major Bicycling Events in New York State which analyzed the
information contained in the events database and on Cyclotour Guide Books web site bike events page.
The bike events web page also contains selected events from other Great Lakes States and Ontario
Province.
    This report is designed to build on the 2001 Report. Additional data was collected for a more
thorough analysis of major bicycling events in New York State. The author never expected this report
to be so long. He does believe that there is no reason to collect data unless it is used for a specific
purpose.

General Information
    Bicycling is a seasonal activity in New York State. The bicycling events season is generally
considered to be from May through October. As bicycle clubs schedule more winter club rides some
major bicycling events may be eventually scheduled during the winter. However, no major bicycling
event was scheduled from November to May as of 2002.
    Sixty five major bicycling events were listed on the 2002 Major Bicycling Events in New York State
database and on the Cyclotour Guide Books bike events web page. Almost all geographic/tourism
regions of the State were represented on the 2002 Events List.
    These were not the only major bicycling events in New York State. A number of other events do
exist, but the compiler was unable to obtain sufficient information about those events.
    A unique feature of Major Bicycling Events List is the inclusion of registration and sponsor
information. The List is sent to, copied and used by bicycle clubs and bicycle advocacy organizations
throughout the State, United States and Canada.
    The criteria for inclusion on the Major Bicycling Events in New York State list is purposefully broad
and encompassing:
    A major bicycling event is open to folks other than the club or sponsoring organization's members
and may have sponsorship support from a business or a public entity. A fee may or may not be
charged. It might benefit another group (charity or otherwise), a bike club, a sponsoring organization
or the bicyclist.

Data Collection
    Beginning in January 2002, letters and emails were sent to bicycling event directors and organizations
asking for comprehensive information on their event. The event organizers were also asked to send an
event brochure to the list compiler.
    The New York Bicycling Coalition posted a call for event information on their bikewalk news group list.
As the compiler traveled through New York State, he stopped into bicycle shops and obtained additional
brochures and information on the more locally advertised major bicycling events.
    Event organizers forwarded additional information, particularly sponsor information, as the cycling
season progressed. The database and Events List was updated throughout the cycling season.
    In December 2002 and January 2003, the Events List compiler telephoned; sent letters, emails and
faxes to the event organizers for participant and spectator information. The compiler also searched
each event web site for information on the numbers of participants and spectators at an event. This report
is based on the information obtained from these sources.
    Comprehensive information for 89% (N = 58) of the 65 events compiled in the database and appearing
on the Events List is used in this report. Two events are in bankruptcy; two could not be contacted by
any means; and the remaining three did not respond to requests for information.

Event Information
    Bicycling events can be divided into different categories. These definitions of bicycling events are used in this report.
    Recreational Events: are organized to provide a venue for bicyclists to meet personal cycling goals (e. g., 10 miles or a century 100 miles); contributing to a civic organization (usually health or environment related); promoting bicycling advocacy; or having an enjoyable time cycling with other bicyclists.
    Recreational Tour Events: aim to expose the participants to a geographic area. In New York State most tour events are linked with civic organization fund raising activities. For many bicyclists the word tour usually refers to an organized bicycling event.
    Recreational Tour One Day Events: are usually considered to be a venue for the bicyclist to achieve personal distance and fund raising goals.
    Recreational Tour Multi-Day Events: allow the bicyclist to more thoroughly explore a geographic area. The achievement of personal goals (e. g., distance achieved), although still primary in the bicyclist’s psyche, is combined with tourism aspects of simply traveling through an area for a sustained time period.
    Recreational Off-Road Events: a bicyclist traverses non-paved roads usually riding a mountain bicycle (mtb). These may be single track, cross country, race, bikepack, rallies, and other events. Off road races tend to be sanctioned events and as such are placed in the sanctioned off-road bicycling events category. Off-road events may be one day or multi-day events.
    Professional Events: are road and off-road events in which the participating bicyclists are considered, by sanctioning organizations, to be professional bicyclists. These may be road or off-road bicycling events.
    Sanctioned Events: are organized with the object of meeting the standards of specialized bicycling organizations such as the United States Cycling Federation (USCF), National Off Road Bicycling Association (NORBA), etc. These are primarily racing events in which cyclists aim to improve their skills and qualify for state and national ratings.
    Informative Events: aim to improve or enhance bicycling safety education, advocacy, tourism, etc. They may be topical conferences or a series of geographic specific events to expose the general population to bicycling. In general transportation professionals, bicycling club advocacy chairs and interested individuals participate in the conferences and meetings. Some informative events are designed to provide bicycling information to the general population.
    Triathlon Events: involve performing 3 or 2 different physical activities: swimming, bicycling and running. There are many triathlon events in New York State. A very small sample (N = 3) is included in this report to provide an example of events which include bicycling.
    Commercial Tours: provide venues for bicyclists to travel in a geographic area. Usually the accoutrements of traveling by bicycle are provided by the tour company. Neither the major bicycling events database nor the List attempt to compile or provide information on commercial or non-profit tour trips. These companies as well as individuals who bicycle tour by themselves aim to take their time exploring and visiting a geographic area. Little New York State data is available on the number or scope of commercial or individual bicycle tourists. Such data is almost impossible to ascertain.
    From the first weekend in May through the first weekend in November 2002, at least one major bicycling event was held on each week in New York State.
    The two largest organizers of bicycle ride events (National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the American Diabetes Association) assert that 95,000 cyclists participate in their events.¹ Comparing the figure provided by these two national organizations to the number of bicyclists, 64,251, who actually bicycled in 55 New York State major bicycling events (not including Informative Events) leads one to the conclusion that the State is a significant bicycle event venue.

Participant Information
    Anecdotal information suggests that individuals participate in bicycling events to test their bicycling skills; to support the organization conducting the event; to be part of a significant bicycling event; and to have an enjoyable social experience.
    The social experience of bicycling with others can not be underestimated as a reason for cyclists to participate in a major bicycling event. The organizers of both one day and multi-day events recognize this factor by training and encouraging ride marshals and leaders to sweep (go back and forth) the cyclists and to make conversation. This is particularly true of the shorter distance rides which attract more novice and younger cyclists.
    Pre or post gatherings which might include the awarding of prizes, certificates of distance accomplished or simply to encourage cyclists to talk about their experience are mainstays of bicycling events. All this social activity encourages participants in a given bicycling event to ride in that event the following year. It is not uncommon for cyclists to ride in the same event year after year.
    There is very little demographic data about cycling participants in the major New York State bicycling events. Even if this information is collected, ride directors have limited resources to analyze the information. Some ride directors have even stated that this information is irrelevant to their event, and they will not collect such information.
    The major bicycling events which have rides of 10-20 miles or offer kids events in conjunction with longer rides consciously make an effort to attract families and younger (< 16 years old) bicyclists. Century and half century rides naturally attract older and more proficient bicyclists.
    In talking with ride directors, the author has ascertained that approximately 10-20% of a given bicycling event come from outside of the organizer’s usual geographic service area. For example, most of the bicyclists participating in a Finger Lakes ride will be residents of the Finger Lakes region. New York City based bicycle events attract a greater number cyclists from out side of the City itself.
    This non-local bicyclist percentage does not apply to events such as the BonTon Roulet, QuadZilla, Cycling the Erie Canal, Bike New York, New York City Cycling Championships, Amazing Adirondack Adventure, 6 Hours of Power, etc. which specifically try to attract bicyclists from out side of New York State.

Sponsor Information
    The 65 major bicycling events in New York State listed on the Cyclotour Guide Books web site during 2002, were supported by 331 different sponsors. These sponsors represented a broad range of products and services. Table III shows the range and number of sponsors.
    Local businesses as well as national and multi-national businesses supported bicycling events. Local businesses provided the greatest number of sponsors. It must be remembered that local businesses, particularly small businesses, are inundated with requests for sponsorship. Small businesses tend to have very limited advertising budgets, even for in kind donations. The results of the compilation and analysis of the Events List sponsor information indicates that bicycling events are viewed, by small businesses, as value added venues to advertise their products and services.
    Large national and multi-national firms are more prevalent as sponsors when the event is organized by a national organization. Those events which took place in the New York City metropolitan region were more likely to have a large firm as a major sponsor. This is understandable since many large companies have headquarters in that region.
    The Politicians category is interesting to single out for its uniqueness. 2002 was a municipal election year. Looking at the 2001 sponsor list it appears that 2 of the politicians sponsored events in 2001.
    The Tourism, CVB category is interesting for its low number of sponsoring CVB/Tourism Offices. Given that bicycling events occur in a specific geographic area only 5 county tourism agencies placed their imprimatur on an event. Major bicycling events are rarely listed on county events’ lists.
    One noticeable beverage missing from the sponsor list was pure juice. Water, soft drinks, beer, and wine companies did sponsor about a third of the events. Usually beverage companies contributed products for the use of cyclists. This in kind contribution of liquid refreshment was greatly appreciated by both the cyclists and the event directors.
    All sponsors of major bicycling events are to be complemented for their support of this recreational activity and sport. Participating bicyclists and event volunteers tend to be loyal consumers of goods and products which are provided at major bicycling events. In talking with bicyclists and volunteers, the author has consistently heard the statement, “They [the product in an event goody bag] supported us so I’ll support them.” The idea of participating bicyclists and event volunteers being loyal to a sponsor is in keeping with the data collected and analyzed by NASCAR.
    The public relations value to manufacturers of industrial, media, professionals, and other businesses not related to bicycling, is the enhancement of these sponsors’ value as a contributor to the to the quality of life in a community.
    The wide range of sponsors has implications for all event organizers. The most unlikely small, national or multinational business/service or professional might be willing to sponsor a bicycling event. Leave no stone unturned!

Implications for Tourism
    The number of participants in the 58 events reported herein suggests that bicycling events are major attractions for both residents of New York State and visitors to the State.
    These events contribute to civic pride. They allow residents of an area to travel through their own localities visiting areas they simply pass by when commuting or do not consider as being a tourist destination to visit.
    Anecdotal information suggests that many participants from outside of an event’s locale return in subsequent years to participate in the same event. During their subsequent participation in an event these bicyclists tend to stay an extra day or two to bicycle in the area on their own. Additionally participants in bicycling events return to the area, not to participate in an event, but to bicycle tour the locale on their own.
    Tourism offices, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, tourism promotion agencies, the New York State Canal Corporation, and New York State Division of Tourism must publicize major bicycling events. They can most effectively provide public relations for an event by configuring a web page devoted to bicycling; include these events in their printed brochures and events lists; and prepare bicycling specific brochures.
    At the very minimum the tourism organizations’ bicycling web page must include: the Major Bicycling Events List; a list of bicycle shops in their county/municipality, local bicycle club contact information (including a direct link to the club’s web site) and a list of bicycle guide books about the locality. If bicycle event directors and bicycle clubs think that this information is already exists in the tourist organization’s office or on its web site, then the directors and clubs should check the accuracy of such information.
    Tourism organizations should also ask the local bicycle club for one local loop ride map of approximately 25 miles. The presence of this map on the tourism organization’s web site will attract bicyclists.
    Of particular importance is for tourism organizations to tally the number of requests for bicycling information they receive. They should transmit this tally to the local bicycle club, the State Division of Tourism and Cyclotour Guide Books.
    Ride directors have the responsibility to contact the local tourism organization for brochures to include in their ride goody bags. Ride directors have to provide information about their ride to tourism organizations.

Implications for Event Organizers
    By definition bicycling events are dependent upon the New York State Department of Transportation, county and municipal highway departments, the Canal Corporation, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; and police departments for the proper condition of roadways and trails The limited number of major events held on private land are similarly dependent on the land owner for conditioning trails and dirt roads. Showing these agencies the importance of a bicycling event to the local economy is of utmost importance but very hard to demonstrate with existing data.
    The largest providers of bicycling events in New York State do collect demographic data. With the exception of one major bicycling event, this demographic information is deemed to be proprietary data.
    A uniform one page cycling participant form should be developed for use by all major bicycling events which are conducted in New York State. Such a form will permit an analysis of bicycling participants and events on local economies. From this analysis it will be possible to plan marketing campaigns to attract additional cyclists from outside of an event’s usual catchment area.
    Obviously event directors will be loath to part with names and addresses of event participants. It is also true that event directors have limited resources to make even the most basic tabulations of such participant data.
    Event directors need not fear. Numbers and averages simply would have to be provided to one central location. This data can be analyzed inexpensively by enlisting the cooperation of the local community college or high school mathematics department. Statistics students (Advanced Placement students in high school) usually have to conduct some type of original research. The event directors have the basic data; the county planning departments and tourism bureaus have other data. Voilá an analysis of data at little cost to an event.
    Cross fertilization of events has to occur. Bicycling event public relations directors have to send a number (minimum 100) of their brochures to other major bicycling events for inclusion in event goody bags. The Major Bicycling Events in New York State should be included in event goody bags.
    Some major bicycling events have to limit the number of cyclist. The ride became too popular for volunteer directors to find enough volunteers to effectively and safely administer the event. Sometimes, less is more!
    The growth in the number of major bicycling events and the number of participating cyclists indicates that bicycling events are important recreational outdoor activities for both the State’s residents and visitors from other States and nations.

>>>>>Insert Table IV Here?


Summary
    This report is not designed to be a scientific study of bicycling events in New York State. It is designed to present useful information about bicycling events.
    The suggestions for ride directors, tourism organizations and others contained in this report are purely suggestions of the author. Most likely ride directors and tourism officials have thought about many of these suggestions.
    The number of cyclists who participate in New York State’s major bicycling events can be increased with low cost marketing changes and the cooperation of tourism organizations.

Your Notes, Comments and Suggestions

    Please make notes, comments and suggestions about this report on this page.
    Mr. Botzman will appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Footnote
    ¹From the web sites: National Multiple Sclerosis Society, www.nmss.org/ and American Diabetes
Association, Tour de Cure, www.diabetes.org/Tour.

Suggested citation format:

Botzman, Harvey. 2002 Major Bicycling Events in New York State. Rochester, New York: Cyclotour Guide Books. 2003.
http://www.cyclotour.com/bike_stats.htm

© Harvey Botzman, 2003.
All rights reserved.

Published by Cyclotour Guide Books
PO Box 10585, Rochester, NY 14610
http://www.cyclotour.com
cyclotour@cyclotour.com
Tel. & fax: 585 244-6157

    A printed copy of this Report can be obtained from the publisher by writing, emailing or going to the web site. The price of the report is US $15.00, including shipping.
    The author realizes that you may be adverse to spending $15.00 for a report on bicycling. One must consider the time (~1200 hours) and cost (telephone calls, facsimiles and web site expenses) incurred gathering information for and compiling the Major Bicycling Events List; collecting data after the events were conducted; analyzing the data; writing, printing and distributing this report.
    Harvey Botzman is prepared to discuss, lecture and conduct workshops on this report or bicycle touring/tourism at conferences, conventions, meetings, and other venues. Travel/lodging expenses and an honorarium/fee is appreciated.
    Mr. Botzman is the author of 7 bicycling tour guides, 4 of which detail routes in New York State. In the past (1970s) he researched health manpower supply and demand.
    Mr. Botzman compiles and maintains the Major Bicycling Events in New York State List.

2001 Major Bicycling Events in New York State
by Harvey Botzman
    Since 1995, Harvey Botzman has been compiling and maintaining the Major Bicycling Events in New York State List.
This events list is used by the New York Bicycling Coalition, bicycle clubs, and individuals.

    General Information
    In 2001, 25 major bicycling events in the State were listed on the Cyclotour Guide Books Events web page. More events
were held but the information was not to sent to the compiler.
The event listing on this web site is absolutely fee free and no solicitations are made; although a link to the Major Bicycling
Events web page and a note about the existence of the events page in newsletters is encouraged and appreciated.
    The nationally oriented events such as QuadZilla, the BonTon Roulet, Raccoon Rally, Canal Trek, NY Century Bike Tour,
and 5 Boro Tour do attract a significant (probably about 50%) number of bicyclists from outside of New York State. Others
are more regionally oriented. Some events, e. g., the MS rides, provide several start locations in the State.

    Data Collection
    Obtaining the event information is a time consuming activity. Most major local bicycling events do not distribute their
brochures outside of a very limited geographic area. Regional and nationally oriented events do distribute their information
materials throughout New York State and the nation. The information (data) for the List as well as for this report was
collected by going from bicycle shop to bicycle shop, bicycle club to bicycle club and directly contacting events which
were listed in previous years.
    The bicycle events listings and the database from which the listings are taken include not only the event name and
contact information but also the fees, deadlines, sponsors and special notes (e. g., pre/post event galas). The database
entries were compiled from event brochures and other communications from the event organizers.
    It is difficult to obtain data on the number and home locations of bicycling event participants. Most sponsoring non-profit
organizations do not readily provide this data mainly due to the time involved in compiling such information.

    Sponsor Information
    The 25 events listed in 2001, were sponsored by 90 different commercial organizations. The sponsors ranged from
multinational corporations to local businesses. Restaurants, attorneys, media (TV, radio, newspapers, ad agencies),
printers, contractors, construction tradesmen, bakeries, groceries, fitness facilities, telecommunications, and
transportation (trucking; bus and passenger railroad) companies were the most numerous categories of sponsors. State
Parks, tourism promotion agencies and county tourism offices were listed as sponsors of only a few events.
    Every major bicycling event had a local bike club and a local bike shop as a participating sponsor. The bike club provided
members who marked the route and acted as ride marshals. Bike shops usually provided mechanical support facilities and
personnel.

    Participants
    The number of participants in a major bicycling event in New York State ranged from 75 (QuadZilla) to 20,000+ (5 Boro
Bicycle Tour). The average number of participants can only be estimated as a range from 150-250 bicyclists.

    Economic Contribution
    Estimates of the monetary contribution to the economy of an area or to the State are even more difficult to ascertain.
Many major bicycle events are all inclusive; meals, lodging, snacks, etc. being provided by the event organizers. However,
a reasonable estimate of ancillary expenditures by a participant might be spending an additional $25.00 per day during
the event. This does not include the cost of traveling to and from a bicycling event.

    Tourism Potential
    Anecdotal information suggests that many participants in these bicycling events return in subsequent years for the event.
During their subsequent participation in the event they tend to stay an extra day or two to bicycle the area. Many bicyclists
do not participate in the event a second time but do come back to the event area to bicycle on their own.
    The true problem is marketing bicycling events regionally, statewide and nationally. Which is precisely why this Major
Bicycling Events in New York State list exists.

    Citation
Botzman, Harvey. 2001 Major Bicycling Events in New York State. Rochester, New York: Cyclotour Guide Books.
    February, 2002. http://www.cyclotour.com/Bike_Stats.htm.

    Harvey Botzman will place your (or any NYS) major bicycling event (including triathlons) on the events page if you send
him the information. Harvey does ask you to complete a simple form to provide the information. The use of this form reduces
the amount of time which it takes to compile, format and upload the events list. The form can be obtained by copying it
from the http://www.cyclotour.com/events.htm page or it can be emailed/faxed to you. You can email Harvey at: cyclotour@cyclotour.com; telephone or fax him at: 585 244-6157. Postal address: Harvey Botzman, Cyclotour Guide
Books,  PO Box 10585, Rochester NY 14610.

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Last modified: June 13, 2009